He said Mr Hull appeared to take his general frustration out on the group.

TRAFFIC DISPUTE: Mervyn Hull had a run-in with cyclists at West End. Picture: Glenn Barnes

"It's like wrongly accusing a child for taking a lolly out of a lolly jar when the child had nothing to do with it," he said.

"That's what I believe the sense of frustration was."

Transport Minister Scott Emerson said the roads were "not a place for competition" and he urged both cyclists and motorists to obey the road rules.

"That's what you see sometimes of motorists out there, and cyclists. They see it as they're battling for some sort of territorial rights," said Mr Emerson, who regularly uses the Bicentennial bikeway.

He said he had not had any requests from organisations such as the RACQ or Bicycle Queensland to change the road rules governing cyclists.

"I think (being allowed to ride) two abreast is a sensible approach," he said.

"What is not sensible is when you see those road rules being broken. I can understand why people would get concerned about that."

The Minister said there was undoubtedly fault in both sides when it came to motorists and cyclists sharing the roads, and the government was doing all it could within its budgetary constraints to separate the road users.

"Road rage always concerns me whether it be motorists and motorists, motorists and cyclists or cyclists and motorists," said Mr Emerson.

"As a cyclist I've seen cyclists going too fast, being too aggressive.but then again I've seen motorists doing the same."

Earlier it was reported that a peaceful commute to work took a turn for the worse in Brisbane's West End, with a motorist claiming he was threatened and abused by a group of cyclists after going head-to-head for control of the roads.

West End business owner Mervyn Hull claims a group of irate cyclists turned up at his Montague Rd business making threats and yelling obscenities after a traffic dispute on a suburban road minutes earlier.

Mr Hull said he had tooted the group of cyclists with his car horn when they crossed into his lane on Dornoch Tce in Highgate Hill as he was on his way to work about 6.30am.

Arriving at his smash repair business, Mr Hull noticed the group of up to 20 cyclists close behind.

"I had given them a toot to move them into their proper lane," he said.

"The next minute, I pull up at work and here they come."

Mr Hull said the group, which he called the "Lycra boys", stopped across the road from his workshop and started making threats against him and his business. Ignoring the group's calls to come across the road, Mr Hull remained in his repair shop.

"The guys kept calling me names and yelling 'We're going to get you'," he said. "They told me they were going to destroy my business."

A group of employees at Mr Hull's business warned the cyclists to move on. The group left soon afterwards but Mr Hull said the threats continued.

"We've had four or five threatening phone calls this morning," he said.

Mr Hull said the battle with the two-wheeled commuters was ongoing, but he did not believe all cyclists posed problems. "There are good ones but we seem to get the bad ones around here," he said.

Cycling Queensland CEO Geoff Rynne agreed that interactions between cyclists and motorists were an ongoing problem but warned there were always two sides to every story.

"Almost every day there is an incident where a cyclist is injured," he said. "Our members encounter issues with cars and drivers who come too close, run them off the road and even throw things at them.

"Many cyclists prefer to travel in groups as there is high visibility and safety in numbers."

Mr Rynne said riders in groups were legally entitled to ride two abreast adding that the answer lies in an understanding and courtesy between road users.

Mr Rynne said traffic management systems would be discussed at the Asia-Pacific Cycle Congress on the Gold Coast in March.

A Queensland Police spokesman said they had received a complaint in regards to the incident and would continue routine patrols.

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Comments on this story

Ray Posted at 1:02 PM February 14, 2013

Many cyclists like to ride in groups and there is high visibility. Hmm; Outlaw motorcyclists also like to ride in groups and they are certainly highly visible. Groups provide anonymity and a sense of power. As it is with outlaw motorcycle gangs it also is with Bicycle groups.

Ollygt of Brisbane Posted at 1:00 PM February 14, 2013

You've got to be kidding me, no one in a car like that "just toots" I'm far more inclined to believe the witness who said he held his horn down for 200 metres. I have also no problem believing they would've hassled him at his business, though typical once out of his truck he feels intimidated. The wannabe sunday peloton riders are a problem, I had a group of them being indecisive and cut across two lanes to a right turn lane in front of me, thankfully I had my eye on them so didn't come close to hitting them and pulled up with enough space.

Alice of Australia Posted at 1:00 PM February 14, 2013

I don't ride in groups, try and stick to the far side of the road for safety. And still I have cars actually deliberately swerve at me, and pass with dangerous narrow margins. If there is a bike path, I take it. Haven't even taken out my road bike for twelve months, because it was getting too dangerous. How is that a win for anyone involved? It should be a healthy, relaxing recreational activity but there are drivers that ruin it for ME. And no, I don't run red lights or any of that crap.

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